Red Nosed Reindeer
by Yemi Hikari
Summary: The second youngest always felt like they were born in the wrong body, so when the chance to be reborn as a new person comes along, with the right gender, it felt like the right choice. (Written for June 2016 Just Write It, Theme: LGBT.)
1. Ron: Not a 'He'

_Disclaimer – I don't own Harry Potter. This was written for the June 2016 Just Write It over on Wattpad which had a LGBT theme. I ended up not finishing this one – I only got three chapters into the piece, as writing this put me in a rather dark mood. As such, I don't know how often this will be updated. Should the story put the reader into a dark mood as well, I don't blame them if they quit reading either._

 _I thought about writing another slash story for this challenge, but this idea has been in my noggin for some time, so I decided to go with transgender instead. The idea popped into my head because in canon Ron voices the idea that Molly kept having children until she got the girl she wanted The transition process is also very slow._

 **Red Nosed Reindeer  
 _Ron: Not a 'He'_**

The summer heat beat down on the countryside of Catchpole, and the red heads of the Weasley family. Ron sat under the tree watching the other red haired children splash about in the pond near their family home. The eleven-year-old tucked their legs up, wrapping their arms around so they could rest their chins on the top of their knees. The abnormal heat created sweat on Ron's skin, an apt comparison to how the preteen felt in their own body, and yet the feeling didn't seem to describe the way the red-head felt enough. One arm loosened, and Ron stood up to head back into the kitchen to sit at the table while Molly busied about getting her child a drink.

"How come my letter hasn't come yet?" Ron's fingers drummed against the table, a pair of blue eyes unable to look the matriarch in the eye, lest she figures out the secret the eleven-year-old kept from the rest of the family. Once Ron mentioned something to George, the younger of the twins, and got a rather negative reaction. Thankfully the teen hadn't mentioned anything to Fred, or if he had, the two kept the secret, likely laughing, in Ron's opinion, behind _his_ back. The word _him_ , however, felt ever so wrong every time _he_ heard the word, reminding _him_ of the uncomfortable feeling.

"Don't worry. I'm sure it will come." The look on Molly's face made Ron feel like she'd lost hope someone, and thus the preteen felt hope was lost as well.

Ginny wandered in, freckles dotting her pretty face, making Ron swallow, the mind noting how lucky the youngest was. She was born a girl, the right gender to, not to mention the fact it was all too obvious Molly had wanted a girl. Ron fidgeted, blue eyes darting to the table, glad for the drink provided by the Weasley family matriarch. Ginny was so very lucky, and Ron's mouth opened to utter this fact, garnering a glare from Molly.

A knock came at the door, and Molly looked up to see Professor Houch from the school standing at the door, a smile on her face. "Hello, Molly Weasley."

"Ah, it is nice to see you, but it is a bit odd, isn't it?" Molly's smile beamed at the other woman.

Houch smiled. "There is a reason why I'm here, a rather important one really. I believe your husband should be arriving home from work soon."

As if on cue, Arthur popped out of the fireplace, and began to shake Houch's hand, excitement in his movements. Ron felt embarrassed, sinking down. "What do we have the pleasure of today, Madame Houch?"

"Could I possibly talk to the two of you with only Ron being here. It is rather important." Houch's eyes drifted over to Ginny, whose eyes sparkled with curiosity. Molly, however, called the others in from outside and sent Ginny upstairs with the boys.

Ron's sister opened her mouth, her eyes darting over to look at the second youngest. George, however, tugged at her shoulder roughly, the dirty look making Ron feel queasy. Everything felt like it would just blow up, and the eleven-year-old couldn't help but feel scared.

Madame Houch sat, allowing Molly to bring a tea to her. Arthur continued beaming at the professor but brought up the thought which pounded in Ron's mind. "It's not usual for Professors to make home visits. The only time is to deliver letters, and that is most of the time because the students are Muggleborn."

"It's because I'm not going to get a letter, isn't it?" Ron swallowed, two blue eyes refusing to look any of the adults in the eye.

"Why would you think that?"

The eleven-year-old couldn't say Fred and George enjoyed teasing the second youngest about the letter being late. Molly's face fell. "It's about that thing. I wouldn't have suspected, considering the fact - well, Ron's into male things."

Ron flinched, feeling as if the secret were out. Houch let out a sigh. "Well, then you are both aware of the ministries policy regarding youth like Ronald, and the options provided."

Arthur continued to beam at the woman. "I've heard about such individuals." The man turned to Ron. "What is it like being born as the wrong gender? How does it work?"

The eleven-year-old gagged, the way the Weasley patriarch treated the situation like one of his Muggle toys sending shivers down Ron's spine. A hot heat burned in Ron's cheeks, and the two blue eyes refused to look up from the table, the knuckles on the hand white due to how hard the preteen gripped the table. Houch's eyes widened, giving the man a rather disapproving look.

Molly took a deep breath. "We're aware of what goes on, but would you mind explaining things to Ron."

"Indeed."

"Explaining what?"

"Do you know how you've got this feeling that you were born the wrong gender? Well, there is a system in place that detects this, and the ministry has options for children like you."

"What kind of options?" Ron looked up, not liking the over exuberant look on Arthur's face or the look of worry on Molly's.

"There is the option to have your gender changed to the one you feel ou should have been born as. This change, should you ever change your mind, is reversible, but only up to the start of the term after you graduate Hogwarts. Then any change must come out of your own pocket. There is an exception to the rule, but we will not go into that."

"That sounds..." The preteen stopped short. "Wonderful, bloody wonderful."

"I'm not finished, though. The only people who know will be your family unless of course you or a family member mentions something to other people. You need to be careful, as not everyone is going to be understanding. On top of this, the transition isn't easy. People who go through the process go through dysphoria. Common reactions are feeling like one is now the right gender, but yet feeling like a stranger, almost like one is reborn. That's the way I've heard it described by the students I've mentored."

"So, you're not yourself..."

"No, no. I'm actually just super pro-feminist. The transition must be done soon, as the changes are restricted to between semesters at Hogwarts, so people are less likely to become aware of the gender change." Houch placed the letter in front of Ron, along with another piece of paper. "The network has been set up to take you, and your parents to Mungo's, where the procedure will be done. On top of this being your decision, your parents have the final say. I'll let you think about this.


	2. George: Strange Confessions

**Red Nosed Reindeer  
 _George – Strange Confessions_**

Why?

George pushed the memory to the back of his head, but every so often the memory would surface for some stubborn reason. The youngest of the twins didn't know what triggered the memory of that day when his nine-year-old brother came to him. The conversation the two had felt odd, but also offputting. The question remained though every single time George found the memory jogged.

Why him?

Perhaps this had something to do with the fact Fred turned Ron's teddy bear into a spider, and how close they were in age. The situation left George wanting to scrub his skin, so the easiest thing to do was to forget the words Ron said to him that one day the younger twin managed to be away from the older twin. Ever since then George did everything he could to not be away from Fred.

"Would you like me better if I were a girl?"

The conclusion George's mind at the age of eleven jumped to left a sickening feeling in his stomach, and yet now at thirteen he knew there were other explanations. He couldn't forget the gut reaction, but also the fact he never, ever told Fred about the conversation. Fred would have just laughed things off, told George he was over thinking things. Thus the conversation, one line from Ron, never got discussed, just like Ron never attempted to discuss the issue with anyone in the house.

The summer heat led to the Weasley children to play in the pond, splashing each other. George couldn't help but notice how Ron stayed away, dressed in his swim trunks and a tank top, not bothering to get wet with everyone else. Eventually, Ron went in, and Houch showed up, and a burning sensation occurred, bringing the words Ron said rushing back.

"Would you like me better if I were a girl?"

George attempted to brush away the memory, but Fred somehow noticed, and teased him. Ginny finally said she wanted to go in, as the sun started to set, and the twins followed them in as did Percy. The eldest of the siblings there remained oblivious, having read a book in the shade the entire time, not noticing that Ron had separated himself from the group.

The children found themselves asked to head on up the stairs, and he found himself in his room, having pulled Ginny away. His brown eyes drifted over to Ron's blue eyes, knowing full well why Madame Houch was there. The two remained there, waiting for Molly to call them down for dinner. The memory, however, kept surging back, making a nauseated feeling in the pit of his stomach, twisting his gut into knots.

"Would you like me better if I were a girl?"

The feeling didn't go away when Molly called them down to the table, and Ron glanced around, a tad shy about the conversation George knew would be coming. His mind kept wanting to reject the idea. The reactions of everyone felt too simple, with everyone in the family acting as if the coming change were not a big deal.

Arthur seemed like an idiot, but the other siblings acted like no big announcement was made. Molly, if she felt anything, carefully hid her anxieties. George, however, couldn't sit there, pretending if nothing happened, and choose to leave the table. The red-haired twin knew his mirror image would soon follow. "What was that all about?"

"Nothing."

"Not nothing, George. That was rather weird, you walking away like that. Something is bothering you. You're not telling me something." Fred flopped onto his bed, folding his arms behind his head. "Bloody hell, I'm missing dinner because of you."

"I knew."

George knew Fred turned towards him, likely having a questioning look in his eyes. "What do you mean you knew?"

"Ron tried talking to me about it."

A silence fell over the room, and yet George knew the conversation hadn't ended. Fred instead was thinking carefully about what was going on in his twins head. "So, he confessed. What did he say?"

The younger twin turned to see Fred now sitting up, a smirk on his face. "Ron said, 'would you like me better if I were a girl'."

"Would..." Fred burst into laughter, flopping onto the bed, covering his brown eyes with his hand. "Oh my gosh. You thought that?"

"It's not funny. It's not exactly something I can erase from my memory, you know."

Fred sat back up, still chuckling. "Bloody hell George, you thought Ron was trying to confess he had some kind of crush on you. That is funny."

George reached over and grabbed a pillow, tossing it at Fred, not saying a word. Fred pushed the pillow away, a frown on his face. "Still, that wasn't the case."

"I still can't be sure. What if..."

"Come on. You're being paranoid. I'm not sure what to think about this, but Ron's our..." Fred stopped. "Well, right now he's our brother, but soon she'll be our sister. Ron's family, so we've got to support the decision he made."

"I hate change." George flopped back onto the bed. "Doesn't this mean Ron's going to change his name, how he dresses? It's too weird, plus..."

"He likely went to you because I tend to pick on him the most. You are after all the less outgoing of us two." Fred frowned. "Actually, I'm not sure if you'd bloody socialize if I wasn't around. Most people don't know that, though."

"I hate change. You may not, but I do."

"Yeah, well, we'll need to tell Lee. He knows we've got only one sister. Kate and Angelina too. I don't think we told anybody else, but they'll likely not have a problem either."


	3. Ron: He, is Now a She

**Red Nosed Reindeer  
 _He, is Now a She_**

"I want to change." The fact Ron wanted to change was the only thing running through their head, and the continued conversation about the positive and negative outcomes went in one ear, and out another. Fingers tapped on the table, and the mouth screwed into a frown, the raging feeling of being in the wrong body pounding in his head. Blue eyes looked at two parents, hoping they would say yes. The woman left, and Ron discussed the options with Arthur and Molly. The father seemed very pleased at whatever Ron choose, but Molly was more restrained, wondering if Ron might not want to give it more time, as there was the choice to change a later year. "No, I want to change this year."

"Alright then, we need to tell the rest of the family."

Ron swallowed, the thought not having occurred. Even Bill and Charlie would need to know eventually, and Molly set about writing the two oldest a letter.

Rejection...

Ron's blue eyes darted down to the table, not quite recognizing the feeling, what it meant, as they were still only eleven years old. Percy, the twins, and Ginny were brought downstairs for dinner and a family discussion. George's eyes darted up, looking Ron right in the eye, making a shiver run down their spine, brown eyes clearly knowing what was coming, meaning George remembered. Molly let everyone eat, before speaking up.

"So, I don't know how to tell everyone this... well, Ron, why don't you?"

Ron felt the spoon drop into the bowl. "Well... I don't know. What was the word used."

"Transgender," Arthur's knack of blurting things out led to George's spoon clattering to the table.

Ginny however starred, and Ron looked away. "What does that mean?"

"Ron, she said it's best if you tell them."

"It's where... it's where you're born in the wrong body, the wrong... what's the word?"

"Ron, you should know this."

Ron kept seeing George look their way every single time they looked up, making speaking not come. Percy though, the know-it-all, blurted it out. "It's where a boy should have been born a girl, and a girl should have been born a boy."

Ginny continued to stare, right in the eye, unsettling Ron. She finally shrugged her shoulders. "Don't get it. Ron looks like a boy."

"Yet he should be a girl." Fred piped up, his eyes twinkling with mirth. His twin, however, did not share the same look in his eyes.

"Oh, that's weird." Ginny put food into her mouth, swallowing before continuing. "Not as weird as Loony Lovegood though."

Ron felt a thudding in the chest, anguish over a feeling not yet placed. Percy acted as if nothing had happened. "So, are you going to go through the change this Summer, or wait?"

"I want to go through the change."

George's spoon clattered, and he stood up. "Excuse me, but I'm not hungry anymore."

Fred looked up at his twin as he left, noticing the look George gave the second youngest, before turning to look at Ron. "Don't worry. I'll go and have a talk with him. I'm fine with this, I think, so don't mind me."

Ron's head sunk down, the feeling of rejection settling in, the realization that was what they feared sinking in. Having a word for an emotion didn't make things feel better. Ginny, however, piped up. "So, does this mean we now refer to you as a she? Is Ron's name going to change? Can I help pick Ron's new name? I like the name, Ashley?"

The eleven-year-old felt his mouth twist down. " _Well, I don't like the name. Actually, I can change my name?_ "

Ron kept the thought to their self, the feeling of being alright still feeling far away. Two blue eyes looked up at the clock, having forgotten the strange device didn't tell time. Time still felt like it moved slowly, through dinner, and the night, until morning came and Molly got ready to take Ron through to the specialists at St. Mungo's. Ron felt a clenching feeling in the stomach, the feeling of not belonging, or being right eating away.

The mother of the family held Ron's hand, as the doctors and nurses prepped _him_ for the procedure, which would mean being under in something similar to a bathtub, dressed in a medical gown, covered in a goopy substance. This medical gown, along with the mask for an oxygen machine, were Muggle devices according to the doctor. Time then went fast, and Ron almost couldn't catch his breath, the feeling of finally becoming a real _she_ washing over.

Except, that didn't feel like the best way to describe the feeling, as it almost felt as if one were saying, Ron, wasn't "real" in the first place. The second youngest Weasley brushed it away, laying back in the tub, keeping _his_ eyes closed as the goopy substance covered him, and then _he_ felt numb until the substance was cleared away. Ron felt a cold shudder run through the arms and limbs as feeling returned, and then a blush settled in upon realizing that the thing which always felt wrong was gone, and that part of the body felt _right_.

 _He_ was now a _she_.

A smile twitched on Ron's mouth as she tried sitting up, only to nearly topple over. A nurse touched Ron's shoulder gently. "Give yourself time dear. It will take a week or so for your body to acclimatize to the change. Girl's also hit puberty sooner than boy's, so your hormones are going to be out of wack."

"I really don't get what that means."

The nurse blinked a couple of times. "Houch did talk to you about this, didn't she? She's always good about this."

Molly looked at Ron, worry on her face. "Well, yes. That doesn't mean Ron understands what she said."

"I understand that it has something to do with having babies, and I know females are the ones that carry the babies, not the males. The rest of it I didn't get." Ron let Molly steady her, and looked at the clothes, noticing a set of female underwear waiting for her. "Are all girls underwear so... girly?"

The nurse let out a gasp. "Young lady!"

"What? Just because I've always felt I was supposed to be born a girl doesn't mean I like girly things."

One of Molly's eyebrows rose up. "Ron, she meant that wasn't really an appropriate thing to talk about. Girls don't really talk about underwear like guys do."

"Oh..." Ron felt as if her world shattered, wondering if she could pass as a girl.

Her mother, however, said something which reassured her. "Don't worry. You've got older brothers. If someone calls you out for acting like a boy despite being a girl, tell them , That said, there are certain things you can or can't do now."

"That doesn't make sense." Ron frowned. "I thought the only difference between a boy and a girl was who had the babies. You always told me that everything else didn't matter."

"Actually, I told Ginny that, but that is true. To a point. Girls can't, for example, go around toppless. That's about it." Molly patted Ron on the shoulder, while the nurse had a rather horrified look.


End file.
